How sacred are Indian cows?

A story in today’s Indian Express talks about how 95 per cent of urban India’s stray cattle are suffering from various ailments due to hazardous materials inside their abdomen. 90 per cent of that was plastic bags. This, while a website about Hinduism says “The cow has almost become a symbol of Hinduism…in India, the cow is believed to be a symbol of the earth - because it gives so much yet asks nothing in return. Because of its great economic importance, it makes good sense to protect the cow” In theory, of course. We’re a country of very high minded and noble intentions. Our actions completely contradict all that. We sell reusable cloth bags every day of the week to customers all over the world from http://www.badlani.com/bags , but we have no customers in India. Tragic, isn’t it?